Separable knife-type clasp connector



April 21, 1953 1. F. MATTHYSSE 2,636,071

SEPARABLE KNIFE-TYPE CLASP CONNECTOR Filed Jan. 25, 1951 INVENTOR jrvz'ryikeakm'c/i' Matzlzysse BY Mj wzw/ ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 21, 1953 SEPARABLE KNIFE-TYPE CLASP CONNECTOR Irving Frederick Matthysse, New York, N. Y., as-

signor to Burndy Engineering Company, Inc., a corporation of New York Application January "23, 1951, Serial No; 207,348"

7 Claims. 3. (Cl. 173-363) This inventionrelates to -improvements-- in clasp connectors of the separabletype in which two separate sections are interlocked togetherand pivotally or longitudinally moved to release the sections to permit separation of the two halves.

The application is a continuation-impart of my patent applicationfor Separable Clasp Connectors filed March 31, 1944, Serial No; 528,991.

The principal object of my invention is to provide means to prevent separation of the two connector halves by one'half accidentally moving on the other.

Additional objects are to provide a separable connector designed to lock the. two halves of the connector together upon the application of a longitudinal pull; to provide a separable connector witha lock which permits disconnection of the two halves only after the halves are pushed together a predetermined distance; to provide a separable connector having a lock which has the added function of providing additional electrical contact when the two halves are pulled 1ongitudinally; to provide a separable connector having resilient contacting means locking the halves together and requiring a predetermined force to separate the two halves by rotatingone half with respect to the other; to provide a connector half with means for accommodating the locking means of the other connector half to provide a separable terminal for connecting .a separable connector half to a flat surface; to provide a connector having two identical halves which resiliently engage eachother when inter-engaged; to provide a connector half which is slottedin the planeof the blade-to permit a resilient movement of the clip whenthe counterpart blade is inserted therebetween; and to provide .a separable connector' of the foregoing type .which maybe made economically'by simpleflproduction methods from tubing or sheet metal.

I accomplish these and otherobjects and obtain my new results as will be? apparent from the device described in "the following.specification.

particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig...6 is :a sideelevation'viewiof a modified iorm'of a connector half.

2 i Figs. '1 and 8 are endmand' plane views of the same.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of "a connection'formed y Figure 10 is a plantviewxof 1a modified 0011- nector half.

In the drawing, reference-numeral ill desig nates a tubular connectorbody or ferrule for insertion of a conductor 1! therein whichxis in dented as at 12 tolockithei conductorrto the of the tongue terminates in a: locking tab or "limit means i'l normally extending from thexedge of i the tongue.

and body It], a groove or recessrlB is formed to At the Junction'of the tongue at permit passage of thetab of the: complementary half of the separable connector;'"Thecslot ITX at the end of the tongue l5 provides'means for giving the tab I! a spring efiect as it slidesin groove 18a of a complementary or counterpart half. The function of theislotthus "is to permit a resilient movementbetween "the spring'contact It, and the tab H as the (counterpart tongue is inserted therebetween.

Along one edge of the tongue [5, "adjacent the groove, a hump or small cam surface 19 is formed which engages the tab of a complementary half as the two connector body halves' are locked.

This takes place by taking an identical body half ltd, the remaining. parts of Illa-being similarly identified, and placing the tongue l5a across the fiat of tongue [5 of connector body it, with the two spring contacts on opposite sides, and pivoting the two halves together. scissor-like, until tab Ila passes through groove 8 and tab ll passes through groove l8a. This is shown in Fig. 3. gaging grooves, their springy actioncausesthem tto snap from the surface oi theirrespective grooves to a point 20] beyond the edges, as indi-- This prevents the 1 tabs from H being accidentally forced back into theirgrooves;

During this movement tongue l5 enters the space between tongue l5a and contact-spring its, and

cated in Fig. 5.

tongue l5a enters the space between tongue 15 and spring contact I6, against the spring ofthe contacts. The contacts or clips may thus be spaced from their tongues or blades a distance interlocking -two icounterpart. connector halves illustrated inFigp 8. 'u

When'the tabs pass beyond their en less than the thickness of the. counterpart blades.

The locking action is further accomplished by" pulling the two halves longitudinally until the edges of the spring contacts engage, as shown in Fig. 5. During this movement, tab Ila scrapes over cam l9, and tab I! over cam i9a, which insures a good electrical connection. To separate the two body halves the different operations are reversed.

By the foregoing I have accomplished a satisfactory lock of the two connector halves which will prevent their accidental separation.

lhe spring lock action of the tab may be eliminated, together with the cam surface i9, and yet retain ample electrical contact and satisfactory locking action.

In Figs. 6 to 9, I have illustrated a device similar to that shown in Fig. l, in that a clip and a limit means are similarly positioned on opposite sides of the end of the blade, which may be identical in shape. That part of the conhector which is positioned between the clips and the ferrule or attaching portion may be recessed or restricted in width to permit the two connector halves to be positioned one over the other, the ends of the clips being sufficiently spaced to allow the clips to enter the recesses whereby a direct longitudinal pull will lock the blades against movement when the blades have been positioned in face-to-face contact.

Specifically each connector half comprises a ferrule or conductor attaching portion 24, the fiat tongue or blade 25, the clips 28, the ends 27 of which overhang the blade.

As shown in Fig. 9 the inner surfaces 28 of the clips 26 engage the tapered edges corresponding to 29 of the counterpart blade. Instead of tapered edges, a cam like that of ii! of the device in Fig. 1 may be used to establish contact and prevent removal of the parts. Where tapered edges are employed, the counterpart connector will frictionally lock on the taper, but where a cam is employed, thecounterpart connectors may be pulled until the cams prevent further movement.

Between the tapered edges 29 and the ferrule 24, the blade is narrowed or recessed as at 30. The restricted neck portion 3! is of less width than the distance 32 between the edges of the clip. The two counterpart connector halves may be positioned one over the other with the blades adapted to be in face-to-face contact with the overhanging clips of one blade and pulled to gether until the parts engage. The clips are shaped to permit a smooth engagement and the' gradual tapers where used permit a good frictional lock.

Where cams like l9 are employed, the tapered engagement is unnecessary and the clip may be arranged in parallel formation with the sides of the blades as in Fig. 1. Such a device is shown in Fig. 10, where reference numeral iiib designates a tubular connection body provided with a shroud [3b, blade [51) having a neck 48b, clip itb, limit means Nb, and cam i912 formed on the edge of blade 15b adjacent to the limit means. The two counterpart halves are connected like the devices in Fig. 9. The space between clip IBD and limit means ilb permits insertion over neck l8b, pulled until cam I92) engages the inside surface of limit means lib.

The principal electrical contact will be at the points of engagement of taper and clip, or at the cam where used. The clips may also be spaced from the blade a distance less than the thickness of the counterpart blade, which will force the two blades into face-to-face contact, as is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

The metal of the connectors is suificiently malleable to permit the indentation shown in Fig. 2. Such a material is illustrated in Patent No. 2,287,761 issued to me on June 23, 1942, which similarly disclosesindentable material for electrical connectors.

I have thus described my invention, but I desire it understood that it is not confined to the particular form or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which, objects of my invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim:

1. A separable connector which comprises an attaching portion adapted to be permanently attached to one of the parts which are to be connected by it and a counterpart connector, a blade portion at least a plane contact face of which is adapted to lie in face-to-face contact with a plane face of the blade of a counterpart connector when the connectors are interengaged, and a clip member extending from at least one edge of the blade portion across a portion of said contact face and spaced from it when free a distance less than the thickness of the counterpart blade, whereby to press the. counterpart blade and blade portion in said face-to-face contact when interengaged and limit means upstanding from the opposite lateral edge of said blade portion above the level of said contact face to engage a lateral edge of said counterpart blade to limit relative sidewise displacement of the blade portion and counterpart blade when interengaged while permitting relative longitudinal displacement, and a part of the blade portion between said attaching portion and the portion comprising a clip and the limit means being recessed to allow entry of the blade between the clip and limit means and under the clip of a counterpart connector. I

2. A separable connector which comprises an attaching portion adapted to be attached to one of the parts which are to be connected by it ;-and a counterpart connector, a body section at least a contact face of which is adapted to lie in face-to-face contact with a contact face of the body section of a counterpart connector when the connectors are interengaged, and a clip ,member extending from one side of the body section across a portion of said contact face to hold the counterpart body section and contact face into said face-to-face contact when interengaged, and limit means extending from the opposite side of said body section, and above said contact face to engage a portion of said counterpart body section to limit relative displacement of the body section and the counterpart body section in one direction, when inter- .engaged while permitting relative displacement in another direction, and a part of the surface of the body section between said attaching portion and the portion comprising a clip and the limit means being shaped to allow entry of the body section between the clip and the limit means and under'the clip of a counterpart connector.

3. A separable connector which comprises an attaching portion adapted to be attached to one of the parts which are to be connected by it and a counterpart connector, a body section at least a contact face of which is adapted to lie in face-to-face contact with a contact face of the body section of a counterpart connector when the connectors are interengaged, and a clip member extending from one side of the body section across a portion of said contact face to hold the counterpart body section and contact face into said face-to-face contact when interengaged, and limit means extending from the opposite side of said body section, and above said contact face to engage a portion of said counterpart body section to limit relative displacement of the body section and the counterpart body section in one direction, when interengaged while permitting relative displacement in another direction, and a part of the surface of the body section between said attaching portion and the portion comprising a clip and the limit means being shaped to allow entry of the body section between the clip and the limit means under the clip of a counterpart connector, said body section provided with a camming portion over which a portion of the counterpart connector is passed during the interengaging movement thereof to resist accidental disengagement and to obtain a pressure contact between counterpart connectors.

l. A separable connector which comprises an attaching portion adapted to be attached to one of the parts which are to be connected by it and a counterpart connector a body section at least a contact face of which is adapted to lie in face-to-face contact with a contact face of the body section of a counterpart connector when the connectors are interengaged and a clip member extending from one side of the body section across a portion of said contact face to hold the counterpart body section and contact face into said face-to-face contact when interengaged, and limit means extending from the opposite side of said body section, and above said contact face to engage a portion of said counterpart body section to limit relative displacement of the body section and the counterpart body section in one direction, when interengaged while permitting relative displacement in another direction, and a part of the surface of the body section between said attaching portion and the portion comprising a clip and the limit means being provided with a passageway to allow entry of the body section between the clip and the limit means, and under the clip of a counterpart connector.

5. A pair of separably interengaged and counterpart connectors each of which comprises an attaching portion adapted to be attached to one of the parts which are to be connected by it and its counterpart connector, a blade portion at least a plane contact face of which lies in face-to-face contact with a plane face of the blade of the counterpart connector while the connectors are interengaged, a clip member ex tending from at least one edge of the blade portion across a portion of said contact face to hold the interengaged counterpart blade and said blade portion in face-to-face contact, limit means upstanding from the opposite lateral edge of said blade portion above the level of said contact face to engage a lateral edge of said counterpart blade to limit relative sidewise displacement of the blade portion and counterpart blade while permitting relative longitudinal displacement and a low hump formed on said blade portion adapted to hold said connector and said counterpart connector against accidental disengagement, said hump being formed to a height less than would cause an inelastic deformation of the connector upon engagement or disengagement.

6. A separable connector which comprises an attaching portion adapted to be permanently attached to one of the parts which are to be connected by it and a counterpart connector, a blade portion at least a plane contact face of which is adapted to lie in face-to-face contact with a plane face of the blade of a counterpart connector when the connectors are interengaged, and a clip member extending from at least one edge of the blade portion across a portion of said contact face to hold the counterpart blade and blade portion in said fa-ce-to-face contact when interengaged, and limit means upstanding from the opposite lateral edge of said blade portion above the level of said contact face to engage a lateral edge of said counterpart blade to limit relative sidewise displacement of the blade portion and counterpart blade when interengaged while permitting relative longitudinal displacement, a part of the blade portion between said attaching portion and the portion comprising a clip and the limit means beng shaped to allow entry of the blade between the clip and limit means and under the clip of a counterpart connector, said blade portion being provided. with a, slot extending from one edge thereof and passing between the clip and limit means to permit a resilient movement therebetween during the insertion of the counterpart blade.

7. An electrical connector comprising in combination, a pair of duplicate-form terminals each of which has a shank with wire-receiving means, and including a resilient-contact portion capable of being moved to energize said portion with spring tension, a neck formed on each terminal adapting the terminals to be disengageably connected, and limit means disposed opposite each other, at least one of them having a hook-like ear, and with a space left between them on each terminal for receiving the neck of the other terminal, each hook-like ear being spaced from the inside surface of the shank to hold the duplicate-form terminals to each other, said limit means applying pressure to each terminal to spring load both thereof into sustained-pressure contact with each other.

IRVING FREDERICK MATTHYSSE.

No references cited. 

